LACOAST PROJECT 

(LAnd cover changes in COASTal zones)

The aim of LACOAST Project is to estimate quantitative changes of Land Cover and/or Land Use in European coastal zones, especially those due to human activities. The European coastal zone, because of its rapid evolution and the pressure exercised on a restrained and very sensitive environment, has a strong need for integrated management. LACOAST could be a tool for this integrated management, applicable to the whole of the European coast, due to its uniform specifications and geo-referenced dataset.

LACOAST is based on the CORINE Land Cover database over coastal zones.

 The Project is carried out by the Agricultural Information Systems Unit (AIS) of the Space Applications Institute (SAI) of the Joint Research Centre (JRS) at Ispra (Italy). It is funded through the Centre for Earth Observation (CEO) Programme (Workpackage AS3200 - Application Projects in support of the services of the Commission). It is developed in close collaboration with users and especially the DGXI (Environment, Nuclear Safety and Civil Protection) and the European Environment Agency (EEA).